Yechezkel Chapters 7 & 8: Comparative Religion or Lecha Dodi bête noire

With these chapters we finally begin to understand why Hashem is so angry with the people. Yechezkel is taken on an out of body tour of the sins being perpetrated in the Beit HaMikdash.

We try to explicate the various forms of idolatry that the prophet is witnessing including Tammuz and the Barsom ritual.

We note how much of the language in the chapter duplicates that of Devarim ch. 4 and explain just how disgusting the behavior is by referencing Kiddushin 72b.

Finally, on my soapbox I note a similarity to the practice of the congregation turning their backs to the ark (and the East) during the Lecha Dodi prayer Friday night. R' Abe Faur explores the halachic implications of this in his Hakirah article

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Pirkei Avos 1:6-7 (⁶🤷⁷)

We spotlight the strange phenomenon of Rabbi Yehoshua ben P'rachai being cited in 4-6th century magic bowls and tie this to his being the purported teacher of Yeshu who was assumed to use black magic (forces of tumah/impurity) to accomplish miraculous feats. For more on this see the links below.

Next we examine the mishna of Nittai or Arbel, which may have been a veiled reference to Yochanan Kohen Gadol (John Hyrkanus). We note a textual variant where the name Nittai is actually Mattai and speculate about the implications.

More on magic bowls

1. Article 1

2. Article 2

3. Book 1

4. Aramaic bowl spells : Jewish Babylonian Aramaic bowls. Vol. one

5. Example of a magic bowl

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Note: This podcast is AI generated

This is an audio summary based primarily on Richard Hidary's article Talmudic Topoi: The Hermeneutical Methods of Midrash and Greco-Roman Rhetoric. This podcast explores how early rabbis integrated methods also found in Greco-Roman rhetorical schools into the development of Mishnaic hermeneutics. While scholars like David Daube and R' Saul Lieberman highlight direct parallels between Hillel’s seven rules and classical logic the rabbis themselves remained deeply skeptical of unbridled human reason. They utilized these tools to ground oral traditions in Scripture and engage with surrounding intellectual cultures, yet they simultaneously established strict legal limitations to prevent logic from undermining traditional authority. Ultimately, the sources depict a complex rabbinic encounter with Hellenism where rhetorical dexterity was embraced as a persuasive necessity but was always held subordinate to received tradition and divine revelation.

I do not necessarily personally subscribe to all the views contained in this recording and will be discussing this work as well as the sources upon which it is based when our Avot/Paterfamilias shiur gets up to Hillel's Mishnayot.

The previous AI podcast received positive feedback and we will try to include one any week where a live recording was not done. Any additional feedback is welcome and appreciated.